Posts Tagged ‘FISA’

I strongly oppose the Supreme Court’s decision to grant terrorists the same rights as American citizens. Carl Levin praised this decision as “an important victory.” I believe it was a victory for terrorists.

FISA (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) is one of America’s most important tools in the war against terror. I support strengthening it. Carl Levin does not.

I wrote the following letter as a concerned Citizen, and published it in my Myspace blog on Sunday August 5th last year:

“Honorable Senators Levin and Stabinaw:

When I was growing up, our government always, contrasted itself with the Soviet Union, by claiming Soviet citizens were subject to electronic surveillance without warrants or cause.

In schools we were encouraged to read George Orwell’s “1984” to alert us to the evil of unrestricted government surveillance.

George W. Bush Sovietized the United States with his extensive surveillance program. Ironically, he claimed we needed this to protect our nation from terrorists, who don’t believe in freedom or privacy. I was relieved to learn that this program was over. Then, like a scene out of 1984, I learned the US House revived this beast from the abyss!

Clearly, many of your colleagues voted for it. What is the point in fighting Al-Qaida abroad, if our elected officials have no more respect for our Constitution, or our privacy, than they do? Why not just surrender and spare us the pretense?

Please vote against this measure in the Senate.”

Well little did I know, Levin sponsored this legislation, and he did it two days before I published the Blog:

“8/3/2007–Introduced.
Protect America Act of 2007 – Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to provide that a court order is not required for the electronic surveillance of communication between persons who are not located within the United States for collectingforeign intelligence information, without respect to whether the communication passes through the United States or the surveillance device is located within the United States. Authorizes the Attorney General (AG) to apply to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Court) for an order, or the extension of an order, authorizing for up to one year the electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes of persons outside the United States. Allows the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the AG to authorize the immediate electronic surveillance (without prior Court order) of persons reasonably believed to be outside the United States if:(1)the DNI and AG determine that it is in the U.S. national security interest to begin such surveillance; and(2) the AG submits to the Court, within five days after the commencement of the surveillance, a certification of and application for such surveillance. Authorizes the AG, with respect to an authorized surveillance, to issue a directive to a communications service provider, custodian, or other person to:(1) furnish all appropriate information, facilities, and assistance necessary to accomplish the surveillance; and(2) maintain under security procedures any surveillance records. Directs the Inspector General to report to the congressional intelligence and judiciary committees on surveillance conducted during the previous four-month period.”